In Which Final Fantasy Crosses Universes
by lennawynter
Summary: In which characters from Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X and XII are all thrown into the same universe. As these characters try to get back to their own worlds, a threat is looming that only they may be able to stop. Succeeding means going home, failing means the destruction of every universe. But can they stop their bickering and band together in time to defeat it?


In Which Final Fantasy Crosses Universes

Chapter 1: The One Where They Are Alone

N/A: I'm basing the back stories off of FFVII [including Crisis Core, Advent Children, and Dirge of Cerberus], FFVIII, FFX [Including X-2], and FFXII [Including Revenant Wings]. I chose these based on my preferences and also of what games I have knowledge of (i.e. ones I've watched, played, or researched). And I claim no ownership of any game (or movie) mentioned; I only own my plot and my OC's.

Note for Combat (And other things): Most weapons used by the combaters will be their most notable/default or the ones used for cut-scenes. (E.g. Yuna will mostly wear her Gunner dress-sphere and not change into any others through spheres [though other outfits may be changed into] and use her guns.) Some exceptions may come, such as Cloud, who I've let have the Fusion sword seen in Advent Children instead of his Buster sword to follow story lines.

**Ivalice – Jagd Yensa – Outskirts of the Nam Yensa**

Vaan looked at the map, then to the note displayed on his desk. Penelo leaned against his side from her seat and sighed. "We're gonna need help, you know. We've tried everything. It's the only way."

"But who? We can't ask Ashe – she's running a nation, or Basch, or Larsa, and we don't know where Balthier and Fran are."

"I heard they're looking for some treasure in Arcadia. We can send a message there, through the hunters maybe, we've still got some friends hunting up there don't we?"

"No, since the bounty, most our friends are hunting _us_, but I think Kytes is in that region."

"It's a slim chance…" Penelo stood and patted his arm sympathetically, "I'll write it."

"Tell them to meet us at Bhujerba – I want to get some things from the mines – say we'll wait there a week, and then we're going after it alone."

She waved him off, and told him to start heading east.

-A Couple Weeks Later-

"Where are they?" Vaan paced through the Skygrounds, growling with his frustration.

Penelo placed a hand on his shoulder, "We knew it was a long shot, we were prepared for this."

"Yeah, but they should have been here."

Penelo smiled, and looked like she was about to say something when a kid came running from a newly arriving airship. She came up to them, "Are you Vaan and Penelo?"

Vaan looked guarded but nodded, "Sure kid, what you want?"

"I'm from Phon Coast, I was told by a man and a Viera to deliver this to you." She took out a letter, and gave it to them. She looked at them expectantly as Vaan took the note, "Are you sky pir…" A woman called a name; she turned and sheepishly ran back.

Penelo opened it and read the letter, " 'We can't make it right now. Trying to out run some persistent hunters but will be there in another week.' "

"Damn it! We don't have time for this!" Vaan crumpled the paper and threw it in frustration.

"Vaan!" Penelo scolded, picking up the note, "It'll be fine, we'll just split up and I'll come back with Balthier and Fran."

Vaan sighed, "I don't like just leaving you here."

She smiled, "Yeah, bad memories, but it'll be okay, and maybe I'll even visit Larsa."

Vaan growled, "I still don't like it."

Laughing, she wrapped her arms around his, and kissed his cheek, "Cute, jealousy suits you."

Vaan grumbled, "I'm not jealous of some dumb little kid."

Penelo laughed again, and walked off, "You head over to Nam-Yensa Sandsea. I'll stay here and wait for Balthier and Fran."

"Fine, just be careful, don't get into trouble."

"I could say the same for you!" She yelled back, laughing.

Vaan smiled, "Well, no time to waste. Rumors about the treasure's probably halfway to Golmore Jungle by now."

**Spira – Besaid – The Beach**

Laughter was all around him, he could hear the bubbles in high and low pitches, he could feel them popping, the vibrations getting in his bones – through the sand – infecting him with a happiness and peacefulness he'd become used to these three months in the land of the living. And particularly of one sweet, honey laugh that would have relaxed him to sleep if it wasn't for the elbows digging into his stomach as the owner of that beautiful laughter jumped on him.

_Uff!_ All the air was forced out of his lungs, and he opened his eyes to stare into her heterochromatic eyes.

"Tidus!" She giggled, "You can't fall asleep now! You haven't helped me with my blitzing yet."

Tidus lazily nodded, "Yeah, sure in a sec."

"Hey lazy bones," A swift kick to the head by a blond fiend, caused Tidus to quickly bring up his head, smacking it into Yuna's, "Get up! We haven't played enough for you to be tired!"

_Ugh…_ Tidus closed his eyes tight against the pain, as Yuna put her hand to her forehead, "Shit, Rikku. What did I ever do to you?"

"Get up, wuss! I wanna play!" Rikku helped Yuna up, and nudged Tidus so that he lay in a prone position.

"Why…" He moaned into the sand.

"Because we've only got two more hours until Brother's gonna make us leave and go hunt that sphere! We still need to go swimming again and we need to build sand castles and go hunting for sea shells and play blitzball! And so much more…" Rikku spread out her arms as wide as they would go.

Tidus grumbled but got up, "At least the water will get rid of my headache," he glared accusingly at Rikku.

"Yea!" Rikku bounced, and she called to Wakka, "Hey! We're playing blitzball, wanna join?"

"Love too!" Wakka jumped up excitedly from the towel that held his four month old child.

Yuna, then, turned to the rest of the crew, "How 'bout you guys?"

Paine shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

Lulu shook her head, "I've got to watch Vidina."

Brother nodded, and fit pumped, "I'm totally in!"

Buddy nodded as well, and Shinra agreed, though more reluctantly. There was varied response from the local blitzball team but most agreed.

"Yes!" Rikku high-fived Yuna and then ran over to do the same to Paine. Yuna grabbed Tidus' hand and pulled him to the water. Lulu threw the blitzball to Tidus who passed it to Yuna. "Come on!" He waved to them.

Yuna laughed as they started for the water.

Three hour later, the team relaxed into the water, panting with exertion.

"We should probably start looking for the sphere," Brother stated, but not make the effort to start for shore.

"Maybe tomorrow," Rikku slurred sleepily, and Yuna hummed in agreement.

Tidus nodded, "Yeah, I say we wait, get a good night's sleep."

An agreement was obvious throughout the gang, the aurochs having gone to the village an hour ago and Wakka a half hour ago took a sleeping Lulu and Vidina back to their home. They swam back to shore. As they started for the village, Yuna grabbed Tidus' arm and tugged his back. Paine turned back, seeing the movement in her peripherals. Yuna winked to her, "We'll catch up."

Tidus smiled, "Yeah, don't wait for us." Paine rolled her eyes, as Rikku gave them thumbs up. Brother's shoulders visibly tightened but kept walking with Buddy and Shinra.

"Come on." Yuna tugged Tidus up the wall to the ruins. She and Tidus cleared the rubble, and Yuna led him to the closed off beach. Tidus flopped down, putting his hands behind his head. Yuna laid down beside him and put her head on his chest.

"Hmm… I love you." She smiled contently drawing small circles on his chest.

He let his hands trail down, massaging her lower back gently. "I love you, too." He whispered as he brought her face to his – kissing her chastely.

**Planet (FFVIII – the world name is unknown) – Balamb – Balamb Town**

"…Wake up…" A poke to his cheek, a soft giggle…

He shifted, swatting at the hand. "Squall~" She sang, "Wakey, wakey…"

He moaned, and rolled over. With a long day before and little sleep that night, he was in no mood to be woken. "Rinoa, please, leave me be."

He cracked open an eye, looking at the woman who was placing her head eye level with his, resting it on her arms, smiling at him. He couldn't resist smiling back and she tapped the tip of his nose.

She brought her lips to his, and he pulled her on top of him, heating the kiss.

"Hey, at least close the door!" Squall sighed as he lifted his head, Zell stood in the hall outside the room.

"They found us." Rinoa whispered, giggling.

"Like you were so hard to find…" They heard Irvine walking to them in the hall, and Selphie following spritely. "Just went to the nearest hotel."

Rinoa lifted herself off the bed. "Go away," Squall commended, tired enough to forget the little civilities he had.

Irvine tsked, "I see a good night didn't relinquish your crass nature."

Squall glared at him, knowing exactly what he was insinuating. And Rinoa realized as well, but didn't seem to care. She just stretched and walked towards them, "So why did you come? I thought you were on leave."

Selphie nodded, "Yeah, we were but Quistis called us in, something important. She won't tell us until we are all together."

Squall groaned but got out of the bed, rubbing his face to clear the rest of his drowsiness. Shifting the gears in his brain to that of a soldier, "Where does she want to meet?"

"Her letter says she'll be at the docks with our mission."

"Well then we might as well get ready to go."

-At the Docks-

"Hello!" Quistis waved from across the harbor.

As they met in the middle, Squall replied with a gruff, "What did you call us for?"

"Yeah," Selphie gave a small whine, "We're on leave for a whole more week."

Quistis sighed but ignored them and greeted the others. When they had gotten comfortable on the benches, Quistis finally explained to them her purpose there, "It's not exactly a mission from the Garden, so technically you're still on leave."

The team looked with surprise and interest; Rinoa was the first to ask, "What's the 'mission' then?"

"A disturbance in Galbadia, near Deling City. They say it's just a rumor, but disappearances have been happening around there. Some people are gone forever, others come back disoriented, and don't remember who or where they are." She gave Rinoa newspapers containing reports of the mysteries.

"Here it says one reports going into that Tomb near there and was found not far from there..." Irvine read over Rinoa's shoulder, "a – a month later!"

"How come the people in the Galbadia Garden aren't checking this out? Or at least local authorities," Rinoa asked.

"They did, but only a little," Quistis told them, handing a police report next, "They said it was only a couple people who came back – most were old and probably had mental illnesses – and those that went missing weren't anyone to be concerned with, they probably just moved away without telling anyone or drank one to many at a local bar…" She sighed, "But I'm going to check it out, and I want you to go with me. You never know, we could find something amazing."

Zell fist pumped, "I'm in!"

Selphie nodded enthusiastically, "How exciting would it be if we found treasure!"

Irvine smiled and shrugged, "Hey, I've got nothing better to do, and I'm sure no one else does either."

Rinoa nodded, "These people shouldn't be ignored just because they're of a lower class." She looked to Squall, who nodded his agreement.

"Good," Quistis stood up, "I've made arrangements to leave tomorrow, so rest up today, we'll be up early tomorrow." She gave a pointed look at Rinoa and Squall, "And I mean to _rest_."

Squall rolled his eyes, "Give me a break." He muttered.

**Gaia – Eastern Continent – Edge**

"Vinnie…" Yuffie whined, pulling her head up a little from the table to give him a puppy dog look, "Pwease…" She batted her eye lashes, and pouted.

"Yuffie," Vincent's deadpan became cold, "Stop while you still have some dignity."

"Oh, please!" She jumped up, yanking like a child on his tattered cloak, "Please, please, please –"

Tifa clapped her hand against Yuffie's mouth to shut her up. She yanked it back as Yuffie licked her palm, "Ugh…" Tifa shook the saliva off and wiping the excess on a glaring Vincent.

Yuffie tugged more, "This is serious! I want to go and no one will go with me."

"Then why don't you go by yourself." Cloud offered from the bar.

"I can't!" She wailed and fell dramatically on Tifa, "I have a reputation."

"Stole one to many materia?" Tifa pushed her off.

"Ha, ha but no," Yuffie smirked, "The boy that's getting married...lets just say we're acquainted. I can't go to the party all alone and vulnerable looking."

"Vulnerable has never been associated with you Yuffie." Tifa cut in.

"Still, I have to save face!" Yuffie looked to Vincent, "And that's where Vince comes in. He doesn't even hav'ta pretend anything, just show up and look pretty."

He shook his head, "Yuffie, I said no."

"Poopie-head," Muttered the disgruntled Wutain, but looked hopefully to her alarmed friends sitting at the bar.

"I wouldn't go on a date with you if it saved the whole damn planet. Not after seeing your last date's injures." Barret gave firmly and turned back, those who remembered Yuffie's last date shuddered. The other two males vehemently shook their heads, Cid responding only with a few choice cusses and Cloud affirming he already was already going with Tifa.

Yuffie glared at them all, and muttered, "I hope you all have a train shoved up your ass." She looked about to give up and sulk, but, she then glanced at Shelke – who was talking to her sister – with an odd gleam in her eyes, "You know, I never specified it _had_ to be a male. I could have a change of heart about my inclinations." Yuffie smiled deviously at a wide-eyed Shelke.

"W-What?" Shelke, who obviously hadn't been playing any attention, looked from Yuffie to Vincent to Tifa, and then to Shalua.

Yuffie jumped over Tifa, and shrugged with a seemingly nonchalant air, "Hey, maybe the reason it never worked between you and Vince is not a personality non-difference, but a…preference non-difference."

As Yuffie talked she didn't seem to notice the room become very uncomfortable, everyone shifting in their seats and glancing from Yuffie to Vincent and then to Shelke and Shalua. Vincent's dating life was a gossip hot-spot for the team's members. Vincent had, at first, displayed no romantic interests in anyone, even when Tifa and Yuffie schemed to get Shelke and Vincent together, but after a month of shoving them together, Shelke confessed to Yuffie that they had went on a date. The two conspirators were delighted, and for a few months it seemed to be going good. Then, as suddenly as they got together, they separated. Neither was one for dramatics, and so it became apparent that their similarly dispassionate personalities made it impossible for them to continue with their escapades. They both agreed to end it and the rest of the team went on unknowing.

Shelke and Vincent agreed to forget they ever really went out – agreed it wasn't going to go anywhere, anyway, and became good companions. When Shalua finally awoke from her unconsciousness, she was thrilled at Shelke's return, and at her new friendships, and life went on normal. But as Vincent came around often for missions and just some break from the lonely life he led, Shalua and he became close. And, without even the interference of Tifa and Yuffie, they started to go out. His relationship with the older sister lasted longer but still came to a stop. Her determined personality fit better with his more distant one, and they had even admitted to having a relationship to the team.

It was in the six month of their relationship that Shalua found out about Vincent's affiliation with her sister – by Yuffie, of course. She let it slip, in front of the whole team – including the couple and Shelke. Just as they were cooling off after a mission in Kalm, Tifa was talking to Shalua about double dates, to which Cloud groaned at and Vincent remained his ever cold self. Yuffie, obviously high off the mission, let her brain disappear and made a comment about Shelke's past relations with Vincent. Confusion was the first evident emotion, then Tifa's anger at Yuffie, and then Shalua's anger and insult at their concealment. She had run off and Vincent tried to go after her, but Shelke stopped him and went herself, explaining how their affair fizzled out.

The next day, Shalua called it off, telling him they were going the same way. Their feelings sparking out just as her sister's relationship did. Vincent was disappointed but understood and there didn't seem to be any strained feelings – except to Yuffie. Shalua, Shelke and Vincent seemed to have lost trust in her and reacted in their own ways. For Shalua, there was not much love lost, their friendship never more than the sharing of friends, the only confliction was the strained relationship when in contact in the WRO. For Shelke, though, Yuffie had become a confidant to her from when she dated Vincent; after the fiasco, it took a lot of work and time for Yuffie to become that again.

For Vincent, he had no clue that she knew those things and felt an unfamiliar type of disloyalty. It was more than just a betrayal of his trust: it was an unwanted, unidentified intrusion into his personal life. Their friendship was still tense, and often one would find her antics annoyed him, her requests met with a cold shoulder, her calls ignored.

It had been only a month since then and the rest of the team thanked their stars that it all went back to normal quickly, only awkward when someone, namely Yuffie, mentioned it.

And it continued to be even more as Yuffie harassed the whole bar – men and women alike – to going with her. Finally, when most had refused (and others Yuffie refused to go with), Tifa finally influenced Vincent to call, "Yuffie, stop." He sounded the same as always but the slight slump of his shoulders told of hidden defeat, and continued, "I'll go with you."

"Yes!" Yuffie yelled as she jumped around from her victory.

-At the Party-

"See, this wasn't _so_ bad." Yuffie patted Vincent's arm, the muscles under her hand tense.

She dragged him to the buffet table where she started to pluck the finger food off the plates with experienced speed. Vincent took no food but swirled a glass of red wine, staring longingly at it.

"Wishing it was blood?" Yuffie teased, getting only a blank stare in return. She sighed, and leaned against him. Vincent shook her off and sipped the wine, restraining himself from guzzling it down.

Yuffie bit back the hurt at his blatant rejection and looked around for someone she knew. Seeing Cloud, Yuffie bound to him with renewed energy. Unknown to her, Vincent watched her leave. He, then, took the liberty of finishing off the red wine in one gulp, hoping to drink the night away. A man approached him, and Vincent stepped out of the way - thinking the man was reaching for the alcoholic beverages. He did; taking a light, white wine.

"A little early for red wine, is it not?" The man asked, as Vincent grabbed another.

Vincent shrugged, giving no vocal answer. The man smiled politely but a little forced, "I didn't think you were her type."

Vincent raised an eyebrow, and took a sip, intrigued but wary. The man gestured to Yuffie, who was obnoxiously whooping at Cloud. Understanding dawned on Vincent: this must have been the fling Yuffie mentioned.

"We're colleagues." Vincent hinted, not cruel enough, or simply didn't care enough to give up her ploy.

"Met at work, huh. Still, she usually goes for the annoying loud mouths." He smiled, "But though obviously never worked, so maybe she figures opposites attract."

Vincent glared at the wall in front of and wished he could be free of this man. "You're getting married." He desperately spouted out, hoping to steer this man away from Yuffie, "Congratulations."

"Yeah, congrats to me," The man gave an gruff laugh and gulped his wine down, grabbing another. "I should have insisted on whisky, but no wine was more _elegant._ Huh, seems my opinions don't really matter. Lucky me."

They drank in silence, Vincent slowly sipping, the groom-to-be guzzling down one after the other. Obviously not happy with his match and forced to celebrate it – _I would want to drunk as well_, Vincent thought. But his sympathy only went so far, for in Vincent's unbridled mind the situation would never be acceptable. If he did not love his bride, he simply would refuse to marry, but Vincent said nothing – after all, who was he to judge.

The man eventually shuffled off, after an older woman came to reprimand him for nursing his alcohol in apparently the named unsociable corner. For the rest of the evening Vincent stayed where he was, watching the partygoers and his teammates' converse around the room. He was finally called out of his "brooding spot" (as named by Yuffie) to enjoy a dinner, provided by the bequeathed.

"Vince!" Yuffie yelled across the table, grabbing the attention of most of the guests, she was jumping in her usual manner, with both of her hands waving like a spot light above her head. Cloud side stepped, just missing the sweeping down of Yuffie's hand. Tifa put her hand on Yuffie's shoulder to keep her still, "I think he sees you."

Vincent walked to them and sat next to Yuffie. He glanced up and noticed the groom shifting his gaze over to Yuffie. Yuffie seemed to notice also, "Poor shmuck."

Tifa gave a curious look, "What did you do to him?"

"Ha, it's what I didn't do." Yuffie explained, "I dated his, sure, but then my dad was all '_marry! Marry!'_ and you know his dad's pretty close to mine. Any way, they were pushing us to get married, so I was like 'damn no, fuck off.'" A few of the people sitting around glared at her, "And then I was working with WRO, it didn't really cross my mind what happened to him."

Tifa sighed, "What are you going to do with you?"

The evening, after that, went relatively fast, for Vincent at least. Soon he was nestled comfortably in the hotel room chair, reading a book he found in the drawer next to his bed. Yuffie was taking a shower, or drying off, Vincent observed as he didn't hear the water running anymore. Soon enough, Yuffie opened the door, still toweling off her hair, "It's all yours Vinnie."

She stopped, "Come to think of it, I don't ever see you take a shower. Must be your vampire powers."

Vincent fought the urge to roll his eyes, "I take them in the morning."

She shrugged and flopped herself down on the bed, "_Ugh..._ I can't believe Tifa only booked two rooms – and then didn't split it girls and boys."

Vincent shrugged, and continued reading.

"Don't you ever sleep?" Yuffie slanted her eyes his way, sensing his lack of response she turned off her light and climbed under her covers. "Well, night."

He grunted, and closed his book. He looked out the window into the black night, and flicked the light next to him off, to give Yuffie a chance at sleep. The light in his phone went on, and suddenly the cheerful ring of hers went off. He grabbed his as she flicked on the light to find hers. He read the text with irritation. And as she found and read her text, he could tell it was a similar message.

'_Vincent,_

_There's some odd activity in the cave of Lucrecia's body. I trusted this to you Vincent, because of your connection but note that if you can't get to the bottom of this, I will dispatch a whole team. To ease your work load, I will have Yuffie accompany you._

_Reeve'_

Yuffie tsked, looking annoyed, "Stupid asshole – he said he'd give me a month's time off."

"We'll discuss it with Cloud and Tifa in the morning." Vincent lay in his own bed, but didn't sleep. He paused when Yuffie turned off the light and snuggled back into her covers, he surprised himself with, "Good dreams, Yuffie."

"Night, Vinnie."

He sighed his annoyance at the insolent nickname.

* * *

And so the painfully long introduction to my story is over! My other chapters probably won't be as long because the stories won't be so individual.


End file.
